• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

Our previous work confirmed that Sph2/LA1029 was a sphigomyelinase-like hemolyisn of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai. Characteristics of both hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of Sph2 were reported in this paper. Sph2 was a heat-labile neutral hemolysin and had similar hemolytic behavior as the typical sphingomyelinase C of Staphylococcus aureus upon sheep erythrocytes. The cytotoxic activity of Sph2 was shown in mammalian cells such as BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as human L-02 liver cells. Transmission electron microscopic observation showed that the Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes were swollen and ruptured with membrane breakage. They also demonstrated condensed chromatin as a high-density area. Cytoskeleton changes were observed via fluorescence confocal microscope in Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, where both cytokine IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 were induced. In addition, typical apoptotic morphological features were observed in Sph2 treated L-02 cells via transmission electron microscope and the percentage of apoptotic cells did increase after the Sph2 treatment detected by flow cytometry. Therefore, Sph2 was likely an apoptosis-inducing factor of human L-02 liver cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5229-5232
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• 2012

The incidence of malignant melanoma increases with age. One significiant effect of aging processes is an accumulation of oxidative damage in the genetical material. In this study, the relationship between malignant melanoma and damage in chromosomes and proliferative effectiveness of human peripheral lymphocytes were investigated by the micronucleus (MN) technique. A total of 15 malignant melanoma patients and appropriately matching 15 healthy controls were involved in the study. MN frequencies and proliferative indexes (PI) after non toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide treatment were also measured to determine damaging effect of oxidative stress in genome in addition to measuring the spontenous levels of micronuclei and PI. The patient group had a significantly higher rate of spontaneous MN than the control group (p<0.01). After treatment with $H_2O_2$, MN frequencies in the patient group was significantly decreased (p<0.01) although there was no difference between the treated and untreated results of control group (p=0.29). There was also difference (p<0.01) between the MN frequencies of the patient and the control group either in the spontaneous levels or in the $H_2O_2$ treated groups. The same significant difference persisted when the PI values were compared between patient and control groups. Increase in the MN frequency in patients could mean the alterations in the chromosomal structure which may lead to the chromosome instability and therefore genetic susceptibility to cancer. This increased number of micronuclei can also be used for cytological marker in identifying high risk cases for malignant melanoma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.176-176
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• 2001

Endocrine disruptors have been implicated in carcinogenesis in animal studies, but carcinogenetic effects on human remain controversial. In order to examine the genotoxicity of two common endocrine disruptors, Bisphenol A and Diethylstilbestrol, cytogenetic endpoints including chromosome aberration(CA), sister chromatid exchange (SCE), micronuclei (MN) analyses and DNA damage by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) were assayed.(omitted)

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2008

Formaldehyde has been identified as the most prevalent cause of sick building syndrome (SBS), which has become a major social problem, especially in developing urban areas. However, studies on the molecular mechanisms associated with formaldehyde toxicity have been limited, probably because it is difficult to relate the experimental results obtained from in vitro studies to human exposure in vivo. Using polymerase chain reaction-based suppression subtractive hybridization, we recently identified 27 different formaldehyde-inducible genes including platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha gene (PDGFRA) and mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) gene which were increased significantly in both formaldehyde-exposed human trachea cells, 680.Tr, and rat tracheas. To establish a possible relationship between induction of these formaldehyde-inducible genes and symptoms of SBS, we examined expression levels of these genes in peripheral lymphocytes of residents of new apartments. Here, we report that the expression of PDGFRA and MDM2 transcripts was significantly higher in peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from 15 residents in new buildings than in seven control individuals. Our results suggest that the elevated levels of PDGFRA and MDM2 may be associated with the formaldehyde-induced pathophysiology that is closely related with SBS, and that they deserve evaluation as potential biomarkers for formaldehyde intoxication.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.221-227
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• 1990

The aqueous extract of fresh ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) contains a macromolecular fraction that showed mitogenic and co-mitogenic activities in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Purification of the crude extract by size (ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-200) and charge (DEAE-cellulose, DEAE-Sepharose) yielded a semi.purified fraction (DS-3). This fraction contains at least three subgroups of anionic macromolecules with apparent molecular weight greater than 600 kilodaltons. It is a glycoprotein with a large amount of glucuronic acid. It acts as a mitogen in both T and B cells of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. It could also potentiate the mitogenic action of Concanavalin A in lymphocyte T cells. Such potentiation is not due to increased binding of Concanavalin A to the cell surface. Its mitogenic and co-mitogenic effects do depend on the presence of extracellular Ca2+.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 1994

The levels of maternal immunity enhancing factor(MIEF), which is an immunomodulatory protein identified from bovine colostrum, were determined by indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for the colostrum and normal milk collected during the first two weeks of lactation. The mean concentration of MIEF in the colostrum of the first day of lactation was $109\;{\mu}g/ml$, and fell from the third day of lactation to $3{\sim}4\;{\mu}g/ml$. The molecular weight of the purified MIEF determined by reducing SDS-PAGE and TSK G2000SW column chromatography was 22,000 and 24,000 daltons, respectively, showing that MIEF is a monomeric peptide in its native form. To examine the capacity of MIEF to induce differentiation of B Lymphocytes, human tonsillar Iymphocytes were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of MIEF, and then antibody secreting cells were enumerated by enzyme-linked immunospot(ELISPOT) assay. When added to cultures of human tonsillar Lymphocytes, MIEF induced differentiation of resting B Iymphocyte to antibody secreting plasma cells as efficiently as LPS.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2004

To ascertain the effects of hair dyeing application on the DNA damage in human lymphocytes, a mixture of permanent black colored hair dye with the same amount of oxidant containing 6% hydrogen peroxide was used. A hair dyeing with contacting the scalp (conventional dyeing) and a hair dyeing with 3 to 4mm away from the scalp (alternative dyeing) were applied to each If young healthy women. Blood was taken from the brachial vein at two sampling times, just before and 6 hours after the hair dyeing, and tail extent moment(TEM) and tail length (TL) were measured by using a comet assay. After dyeing, TL was significantly increased in both conventional dyeing group and alternative dyeing group compared with before dyeing as an average of 47% and 28%, respectively, and TL for conventional dyeing group was higher than alternative dyeing group as an average of 1.2 fold. After dyeing, TEM was significantly increased in both conventional dyeing group and alternative dyeing group compared with before dyeing as an average of 192% and 76%, respectively, and TEM for conventional dyeing group was significantly higher than alternative dyeing group as an average of 1.7 fold. Therefore, alternative dyeing application was induced to lower lymphocyte DNA damage than conventional dyeing application, and TEM was appeared to be a more sensitive tool for the measurement of lymphocyte DNA damage than TL in this study.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 1976

Chromosome aberration induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and the effects of thymidine analogs (BUdR or IUdR) on MMS-induced chromosome aberration were studied in human lymphocyte cultures. Single treatment with MMS to lymphocytes induces both chromatid and chromosome type aberrations with high frequency of chromatid type. The combined treatment of BUdR or IUdR with MMS was found to be more effective in increasing the rate of chromosome type aberrations.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.26-32
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• 1997

To evaluate the cytogenetic toxicity, of cadmium and the reducing effect of selenium or zinc on cadmium toxicity, the induction of SCEs in cultured human lymphocytes by the concentraion of 0.5 $\mu$M to 16.0 $\mu$M of cadmium chloride and those of cadmium chloride combined with sodium selenite or zinc chloride 1.2 $\mu$M, respectively was investigated. The induction of SCEs by cadmium chloride in the range of 0.5 $\mu$M to 16.0 $\mu$M increased in a dose-dependent manner. A notable increase in SCEs by sodium selenite as well as zinc chloride was also observed. However, the frequency of SCEs by cadmium chloride was inhibited by the simultaneous addition of sodium selenite and zinc chloride 1.2 $\mu$M, respectively. The mitotic index significantly decreased in higher concentration of cadmium chloride but not was significantly different in any concentration of cadmium chloride with the simultaneous addition of sodium selenite or zinc chloride. The results showed that the decreased additive SCE effect was observed when induced by the combined treatment which could suggest that sodium selenite and zinc chloride have a protective effect on cadmium chloride.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of DNA damage in human lymphocytes caused by smoking and other lifestyle factors. Methods : The study population consisted of 173 normal healthy male adults from 21 to 59 years old. The demographic and lifestyle variables were obtained from administered questionnaires. The level of lymphocytic DNA damage in the peripheral blood was evaluated by the Comet assay. Statistical analyses were done by general linear model analysis and Dunnett's multiple comparison. Results : The difference in DNA damage between smokers and non-smokers was statistically significant. The means for the Tail%DNA were found to be 10.48 in the current smokers and 9.60 in the non-smokers (p < 0.05). The tail moment means were 1.58 and 1.45 (p < 0.05) for the current smokers and non-smokers, respectively. The number of cigarettes smoked per day did not result in a significant difference in the level of DNA damage among the smokers. Other lifestyle factors such as age, and drinking and exercise habits were not related to DNA damage. Conclusions : The DNA damage in the lymphocytes of smokers was found to be significantly higher than that for non-smokers. However, the number of cigarettes smoked per day was not related to DNA damage. Further study is needed to evaluate the relationship between the amount of smoking and level of damage to DNA. In addition, the status of DNA repair activities should be assessed.